Instructions
Overview on Templates This site is in the early stages of development and I'm really sorry for not creating a much easier way of adding cases, but until I can get this site working correctly and easier, I'm sorry. There will be a instruction page for adding links eventually, but to write future case-files (until I can get a template page going), the easiest thing to do to paste/click one of the already established case files and alter the info to the new case. Originally, I had several page templates to use, but over time, they've been updated and revised. Right now, the best way is to use one of the already established cases as templates (altering and renaming it to the new case) until I can get the bugs fixed. The various templates are nearly identical with obvious variations, but here's a general over view of how the standard template works, erasing the instructions in <...> : Real Name: Nicknames: Location: Date: Details: Suspects: Extra Notes: Results: Links: (NOTE: In the Legends template, Description is for a description of the setting or location, not the case itself.) Please be aware that for cross-referencing purposes, all cases are provided with category links (preferably in this sequence) by: Year State or Country or Region Case Themes (themes prevalent through several episodes in the series) Case Status Category links are meant to be used in the linking of cases, not the results. Do not use category links relating to the updates. Furthermore, in addition to cases being Solved, Unsolved, Wanted or Captured, this site uses the category Unresolved for cases where certain circumstances and case perimeters have to yet be answered; such as cases where fugitives have taken their lives before brought to justice or where family members of their lost loved ones are still missing some form of closure. I have since began using two more templates on this website to use as reference pages for Investigators and Series connected to cases seen on Unsolved Mysteries. Naming Convention Case Names: Be sure you have a decent name for the case that isn't too vague (rejected: "Case of the Missing Heir" better: "Heirs of Katherine Bennett") and therefore can't be confused with another case. In other words, use a name that definitely identifies the case. When in doubt, peruse the case file lists for what name is already being used. A few examples: Brayman Road Attacker Shannon Davis Michael Scott Martin Tami Leppert The Signal Mountain Murders Note I am using the simplest most basic name for the file. It is acceptable to describe the same case under different categories. The Shannon Davis case can be listed under Unsolved Murders as: Shannon Davis or under Most Wanted as David Davis as long as they are cross-linked. Profiling cases separately like this can also be useful in detailing cases as best as possible; for example, several Appeal Cases have the Unsolved Crimes described separately. When the spelling of the character name is in doubt, include the extra notes under comments in the case description or use the variant name under aliases, as in Mafuz Huck. (Due to time in trying to get this site user friendly, I'll still be adapting as things go on.) If you think a case can be better identified by another title, you can contact me and we can discuss it. Bear in mine, several cases have been grouped and linked together under one name even though they are listed separately. See Obia-Man. Case Themes: Be sure to include as many links to cross-reference and identify cases as possible for visitors to the site to identify cases they might only have a few details on. For example: the The Signal Mountain Murders includes: Category: Tennessee Category: 1990 Category: Solved Category: ATV-Related cases Eventually this site will have categories to cross-reference cases with common states, years, vehicles and objects as well as by status (Solved, Unsolved, Unresolved, Wanted, Captured, et al) Hopefully with your help we can put together a site that will list every segment from the series and cross-reference for easy identification. If you do not have immediate full details for a detailed case file here, please provide as much as you are aware of that someone else can recognize the case and add to it. If you are the type easiliy offended by others editing your work, this is not the site for you. Watch your grammar and spelling and do not include any profanity. There is no excuse for this. Case Placement For clarity and aesthetic purposes, I have summarized the cases in the series into the following categories: Most Wanted - This page lists all the fugitives and people wanted for questioning for crimes they were connected to. Unsolved Murders - This page lists all the unsolved deaths and murders lacking identification of the killers. Lost Loved Ones - This page lists missing persons, lost loved ones and friends lost from the lives of others. Unsolved Mysteries - This page is for all the cases that don't fit in the first three: lost identity cases, harassment cases, criminal mysteries... Legends - This page is for all the Ghosts, UFO stories, Buried Treasure and Historical Cases featured in the series. (Athough, two murder cases with paranormal connections and one disappearance with UFO overtures have been included.) Some cases involving unusual phenomenon have been placed under Unsolved Mysteries for the purposes of aesthetics. During the series, there were cases identified as "Sci/Med" or "The Investigators." Since even those segments featured unsolved cases, I have placed them under the previous four categories. For example, the Jack Davis Jr. from the profile on Dr. Cyril Wecht is under the Unsolved Murders category with an accompanying note on the case file. Wecht has since recieved his own bio under a new category Investigators, reserved for specialists and psychics profiled in the course of the series. However, several cases I have cross referenced under more than one category for convenience state. The theft of the Stahl Paintings, for example, has been featured under Lost Loved Ones since it is the disappearance of a physical object, under Unsolved Mysteries since the case was so unique for category placement and under Most Wanted since the thieves that perpetrated the theft still remain uncaught. Episodes I have gone to great effort to create and list Unsolved Mysteries by episode describing only new cases, thereby deleting repeats. This system allows me to not only identify the earliest possible airdate for each case but to separate old cases from new cases from the syndicated format of the series. For those of you who wish to know which cases are new and which are being repeated, I suggest including the category links, Lifetime TV Case or Spike TV Case. Pictures and Photos For those who wish to provide images and photos, do not stick them in the portion of the text as this affects the layout of the pages and causes gaps and spaces to occur. Please do not place them between the text and HTML codes which you can edit much easier on the Source page which allows for much easier control of the page appearance. Also, please limit number of images to one or two as per the case profile requires. With more and more people getting involved with the site, it is becoming impossible for me to peruse and proof-read every new page to edit every new page being added. If you have questions, contact me on my TALK page. Note: Cosgrove-Meuer Productions, The NBC Network, Lifetime-TV or Spike-TV recently reviving the series does not recognize this site. Please describe cases in your own words only; do not repeat copied material from the Unsolved Mysteries website or any other website. Other Case Files At this time, I've included a few cases not listed in the Unsolved Mysteries episode list, which: 1) have been connected to other cases on the series, such as the Natalee Holloway case to the Amy Bradley disappearance, or 2) have been credited as appearing on Unsolved Mysteries, but can't be confirmed, such as the Kerri Culberson case. If there is reason to believe that such a case may not have been on the show, please indicate this under Notes in the case file. Since there is a finite number of cases even for the series for this site, I've created a separate page for Suggested Unsolved Mysteries Cases under Suggestions in an effort to get more fans of the show interested in the site. In order to add such a case, write the case in the format style of the case files already on the site, substituting the site or reference of the material in Notes for the episode date, and don't forget to use the proper tags (those cross referencing tools at the bottom linking cases). The suggested order is by Location, Case Type, Case Theme(s) and Status. If you don't know how to create the links and tabs, send me a message and I'll help you through it. For any other questions, please contact me on my Talk Page. Category:Pages